AfD's Rise in Saxony-Anhalt Election Threatens Arts Funding

As Saxony-Anhalt prepares for a crucial regional election on Sunday, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is projected to win over 40% of the vote, potentially reshaping cultural funding in the region. The Kunstmuseum Magdeburg, housed in an 11th-century building, currently presents 'Das Geteilte Jetzt/The Shared Now', an exhibition on instability that closes this weekend. The AfD, founded in 2013 during the Eurozone crisis, has evolved to promote a restrictive German culture, criticizing the Bauhaus movement and radical theatre. Ulrich Siegmund, the lead candidate, is backed by Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, who advocates for cultural funding recipients to declare commitment to 'German national culture'. The Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau, visited by nearly 180,000 people last year, could face restrictions under an AfD government, according to director Barbara Steiner. Andreas Beitin of Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, which is privately funded, warns of a 'terrible threat' from patriotic declarations and notes the AfD's negative impact on discourse. The election is the first of four state votes this month, including Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Lower Saxony, where the AfD polls around 20%.